Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-15

the while II the three had missed their niece in
lived happy. easy life cared for in sufficient COM
| fort evidently.
s.Let You restc- ehirruped Aunt Jane 'To be
| sure. Ey good woman. Take the rocking chair.
You see, this is the house OF rest, glancng at her
sisters. care you going far?'
'sNot far" was the low reply.
"FrOm the neighboruood heTee'
81 used 10 live mere once, long ago, long ago"
she Was to darn on her a Stretched fingers Then
| you lind the place changed, suppose
"Weli. it is Changed. And It's pity, too. But
they have been cutting down the trees ever since
Leonard married again He found it profitable,
and having two families to support
.Is-is-is Leonard married again:" How the
voice shook! II was only CHASTITY whisper.
.Yon knew ,;a him. fhe hin Oh YES long since;
lad. He
'.And he is the one that would not live il his
wife died. said the other, with o sudden hyS-
terical laugh that made Aunt Betty look up from
the pages OF her Seaside" And then the world
was going out.ne, no; she must not, she would
Aunt James needle was suspended in the air
moment with surprise. and then, slow to take
oiiense or TO imagine evil, she answered, even
although to unheeding ears eyes. / see you knew
him pretty well. But he incurred her enough. He
motrned her enough. And then. you See he was a
He takes care OF us. And he had right to marry"
There was "A gasp. as il the other tried In vain to
came 10 I'LL them. 'tDid he-did he-nlarry Louisa
Dance
Louisa Dane, indeed! He married little, pale
thin woman that he met In the cars, sick and
weak. with air-cushlons and rugs and hot-water
bottles; ana there was great accident, and this
miserable little creature who could not take care
or herself began TO take care OF everybody else
And he's doctor, you know. And 1t rather fetched
him., said poor Aunt Jane unconscious OF her
slang III made him fond OF her. and by and by
ne was SO SAD ard Solitary-he went and brought
her nome He didn't undertake. TO bring her here.'
said SAID Aunt Jane, emphaticaily. he isn't the
SalG. they have a little lad
'sfhe little lad, murmured voice OF infinite
sadness.
And Leonard was always so fond of children.
But for my part, snapped Aunt Jane. II always
think there GOOD deal OF make-believe that sort
year, and competent hOuSekeeper the next. Yes,
Leonard Is married again, and very comfortable.
WheIe DOES Re i've guessing rather than hear
| Ing the words. 'DOwn town near the post Office.
/ But IN comes up once month or so TO settle ac-
counts and give directions. Hekeeps his old study
here, and he always comes in Ut the end gate and
goes in there and comes out 70 see us by-and-by.
continued the garrulous Old soul, for the visitor
allowed her to run on.
She was pulling herself together now The shock
was vast. Her brain seemed tn reel, il she put
forth all her strength to save herself in the fall
/ GOWN Il black and Unknown cilaSn. Only now q
grim fancy crossed her OF Leonard living down in
the town, getting all the small ways Of the towns
people, living cheaply, with closed doors, inter-
ested IN the small gossip. small pleasures, small
pursuits of the town. forgetting the old studies,
the search into yeiled secrets OF science the great
name once possible the mighty aim half reached.
Ana their LIFE up Oh the hill had been free and
| fine. And IL was dust and ashes, All why had
some ilIe from heaven not fallen and reduced the
had found. For herself
She must not think of herself yet-that would
come by and by: that would come in the terrible
days ana nights when The black waves rose
around her. aud one wave tossed to another. and
blacker TORN. to be followed by as black calm,
ragged Within
sac sat very still in the chair She was trying
TO bring some order from the confusion, to stop
this bell that was tolling the one word in her ear
Ike deaJh-Eneii. Leonard was married again.
To little delicate woman. She made his home
agreeable TO hiii!-She had no temper no capriceS
no gay rout OF 1riends-and there was no music
doubtless his dinners were always nicely cooked,
his clothes in perfect order. And he was very
comfortable; yes, vastly more comfortable than
he mad ever been before: there were no discus
| sions. no differing views, no quarrels-he had
reyerential feeling for this good and placid dell
cate white Woman-and there was the little lad.
What was there left for herself but the efface-
ment that fate had given here
Yet if she could see him once again! Perhaps
Shs lad b. ea5 ,1 not she might be5ray herself
\ she came. She could make the sacrifice She
was sure Of herself. But should she see his
/, eyes
II aeclare.- said Aunt Jane "That,s Leonard
now, coming in the gate. And Brfdgets busting
the study-she was late in her sweeping to-day
| and not half through"
Il viii 90 In, then, II you please. know the way
came 10 speak with him, said the other, and she
/ called al her forces and rose.
'iWel, if you had just as lief. My ankles lame
/ and i rather favor it," said Aunt Jane looking
] AFTER her. as She groped her way rather than
| walked just Helenas height, poor GIRL" said
! Aunt Jane, as the door closed, ''and there was
/ something in her voice like HeienaS too. Didn't
know he had down town Office, l suppose, and
/ she does seem weak declare don't see how
/ Annabel wears such holes In her stockings and
she never setting her loot TO the ground. 1 won
/ der II il cGH he possible that Bridget wears them
herself the Odd week.
! The study opened from the nower-room. empty
now. but once bright little spot of gay chtntzes,
and roses, and o,eanders. and palms, and cainei-
as. II seemed rs II Bridget was never coming out
Any one might hear this heart beat like the ham
! meTs OF forge. IT would be dark presently. and
breaking Oft that marriage. II he could make It.
he could kept. Perhaps he was happier so: she
would BOT add to his troubles ny reappearing on
the scene: and then there was The little lad She
sank upon seat in the lonely place and her arms
tween them. IL was d1spair. That little lad was
the SeeneSt blow OF a.l-be must needs love his
/ own child.-and II was hers. that other wOmans
/ Al. how cruel was fate, was Nature was God |!
There was nothing for her buJ 0bIierauiOn efrace-
ment, humiliation o. all that made life
DfInly under all the pang was q feeling that abe
would like TO see that little lad
! At last Bridget went out, by the outer study
door, into the garden, ana 50 away. There was
movement OF chair drawn to a table Of a curtain
/ pushed up for light. She was hardly acting with
vOliton now. but IL necessity had taken hold OF
/ her. She dropped her hood and cloak and stole
/ into the study, where ths last western LIGHT lay
! noiSeleSsly. for LeOnardS back was turned and
/ fell upon chair that would be opposite him when
he should turn again. He slightly wheeled his
! III his hand How grave he was; how pale; how
/ STILL All The Old fire had gone all the Old light
| and laughter. He Was silent. full OF reserves con-
tented, IL might be, but with gaps of bitter memo
| rieS. one would say. And beaGtiful-beautiful as
/ even In his prOu0eSt youth! Giving his life in
small ways TO others nOw-what better could she
| herself DO. Perhaps she had no blame for him
/ but she had LOST hm-he had gone away from her
/ forever. forever
She turned, her profile lying half to the light
That came full upon it: the rustic made him glance
/ up For a moment-a thrill, thrOb-he gaZed on
htr stone still, as III cataclySm had struck him
dumb. And then he Sprang to his feet and starred
/ back in a kind OF horror
"Helena. he cried I'm a voice Of agony
she, 200. stood up. He was holding out his arms
TO her with great sob. II seemed as II a wind
blew her into them. But as his head bent she
only turned her cheek. '!At least" he said-.'at
I least may take you in my arms again.D And as
suddenly and impefuOusly ne released her. walk
/ Ing 10 the window. When lac turned she was gone
! we have seen a ghost. said Aunt Jane that
midnight. after ali the quiet search But think
! that Leonard Vance knew whether he mad seen q
1 ghost or not.
Three weeks from the day she slipped through
! The asylum gates near the city on the French
coast, the woman in the long cioal, and big blue
Her long black hair was as white as IL ashes had
been sifed over it. Ashes had been sifIed over it,
! the eshe-s or a dead happiness. never knew anY
| more about her. in her life of eracement unless
/ tho suDtoined paragraph in foreign Journal had
| reference 70 her:
AT the conftagration occurring last week In the
AS iuin Oh our Lady OF the Suffering Heart, the
less OF life would have been appalling but for the
presence of MIND OF one OF the attendants II seems
I that when The Ire broke out the widest panjc
seized the unfortunate inmates and all would have
neyitany persisted liz the flames. had not this at